Saint Joseph Catholic Church

“Just a few weeks after Don Gnocchi’s gesture, Pope Pius XII offered some initial moral guidance on these issues, recognizing the legitimacy of removal for therapeutic purposes, respecting the dignity of the human body and the rights of the people involved,” Pope Leo continued, as he recalled the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and statements by St. John Paul II and Pope Francis.

Before thanking the medical professionals for their work, Pope Leo cautioned that “vigilance is always necessary to avoid any form of commodification of the human body and ensure that transplants are governed by fair and transparent criteria.” The Pontiff added:

I encourage institutions and the voluntary sector to continue their work of providing information and raising awareness, so that a culture of donation may grow that is ever more informed, free and shared, capable of recognizing in this gesture a sign of solidarity, fraternity and hope.

“17% of all religious radio stations in the Midwest are Catholic stations, as are 12% of religious stations in the Northeast and 9% of those in the West,” according to the report. “By contrast, just 5% of all religious stations in the South are Catholic stations.”

The report found that Catholic stations placed much greater emphasis on talk-radio shows and much less emphasis on music than Protestant stations do. The authors added:

There is quite a bit of overlap in the books of the Bible that are mentioned on Catholic and non-Catholic radio. The Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John, and the Hebrew scriptures of Psalms, Genesis, Exodus and Isaiah are among the 10 most-mentioned books of the Bible on both types of stations. But at the time this study was conducted, listeners were far more likely to hear references to the Book of Revelation on non-Catholic radio than on Catholic radio.

Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis said that “in our age of uncertainty, and in our age of great anxiety, is a thirst and hunger for God and stability that faith brings to people’s lives.”

“I think technology has isolated us from one other. I think that Covid just really magnified that isolation,” he added. “We are realizing many of the ills of our society, particularly anxiety and depression, come about from that isolation.”

Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington also offered comments:

Bishops are buzzing about the surge, and confounded by what is behind it.

“Of course we think the Holy Spirit is,” Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington said. “But we are kind of stymied.” ...

“‘What is your number? What is your number?’” Cardinal McElroy recounted a huddle of bishops asking one another between sessions at a recent conference.

Portugal’s bishops and religious institutes announced the conclusion of their abuse compensation process.

Bishop Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T., whose territory covers Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, told AsiaNews that Israel and the United States “said they wanted to reach a deal, then they bombed and killed (Iran’s) political and religious leader (Ali Khamenei). People understand that (Iran) is now trying to defend itself.”

Bishop Berardi said that residents of the Persian Gulf states “are wondering why, despite the money spent on protection, bases, and weapons, we have been attacked so hard” by Iran.

“At first, it was thought that (the war) could be over in a week,” the prelate continued; he said that Iran responded “violently,” albeit “legitimately.”

“Following a request from the Holy See, the Bishops of Scotland have been invited to reflect on how the structures of the Church in our country can best serve her mission in the years ahead, specifically whether the present situation of eight dioceses is suitable,” the bishops said in a statement.

“Two possible pathways are being proposed for careful discernment: developing deeper cooperation and the sharing of resources across dioceses within our present structures, or the merging of some dioceses,” the bishops continued. “In order to best inform ourselves and the Holy See, each bishop will engage with his diocese over the coming months for the first part of this process.”

The Vatican newspaper devoted the most prominent article in its March 26 edition to the work of Marco Rodari, a clown known as Il Pimpa, who attempts to bring joy to children in war zones.